Kyoto, constructed on the model of ancient China’s capitals was erected in A.D. 794. From its foundation until the middle of the 19th century, it was the imperial capital of Japan. Having been the centre of Japanese culture over 1,000 years, Kyoto demonstrates the development of Japanese wooden architecture, especially religious architecture, and Japanese garden art, which has impacted landscape gardening around the world. --WHMNet paraphrase from the description at WHC Site, where additional information is available.

Uji (宇治市, Uji-shi) is a city on the southern outskirts of the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Founded on March 1, 1951, Uji is located between the two ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto. The city sits on the Uji River, which has its source in Lake Biwa. As of February 1, 2007, Uji has an estimated population of 192,921 and is the second largest city in Kyoto prefecture. The city has an area of 67.55 km², giving it a density of 2,856 persons per km². In the 4th century the son of Emperor Ōjin established a palace in Uji. Three Battles of Uji-gawa took place here in 1180, 1184, and 1221. Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408) promoted cultivation of green tea in the Uji area. Since that time Uji has been an important production and distribution center of superior quality green tea. Tsuen tea has been served since 1160 and is still sold in what is the oldest tea shop in Japan, and possibly the world--the Tsuen tea shop. The final chapters of the Tale of Genji are set in Uji, attracting visiting literature buffs from all over the world. --Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.